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August 2017

Joe Hanauer, owner of Landscape Architecture LLC, started the Madison-based business 21 years ago. A graduate of UW-Madison, he is a licensed landscape architect and also has a degree in horticulture.

"I'm well-versed in the issues that involve design, construction and engineering in the landscape architecture side of things, but I'm also really well-versed in the plants, what they need and what grows well where," he said.

He spent the first seven years of his career working in the Chicago area, where he learned a lot about design on a large scale. Moving back to Madison revealed a difference in companies, customers and style in regards to the landscape architecture industry, which took some getting used to. Unlike many contractors who have a

This weekend, make room for some delicious food from Madison area restaurants. The 2017 Taste of Madison will be open both Saturday and Sunday on the Capitol Square. With more than 200 menu items, provided by more than 80 restaurants, there is sure to be something for every age and appetite.

The event is designed to allow you to sample a wide range of delicacies, family favorites and restaurant specialties, but at a modest price. Serving sizes are 6 oz. or less, and the cost for each item ranges from $1-$4. You can build full meals out of the variety of options, with appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts of all kinds. Don't forget to stop at some of the 26 beverage stands scattered throughout. All tips you give at these stands, and all proceeds

As listing agents we're noticing some interesting shifts in practice as the world becomes more digitally dependent, in particular with how offers are being submitted and communicated to sellers. Specifically, we're noticing more communication being done through text and email, and less through telephone calls and conversation.

A relatively common scenario is for a buyer agent to email the listing agent an offer and then follow that up with a text message asking the listing agent to confirm receipt. In other words offers are being submitted without the buyer agent initiating any conversation with the listing agent. These types of offers, in our experience, are the ones least likely to get accepted in a competitive situation.

Documenting features and upgrades is a great way to demonstrate your home's value and justify your list price to buyers and appraisers. This 30 second video offers 3 quick tips to help you get started with the process.

How we help you sell your home's features and upgrades

Once we have your list of upgrades, we'll use this information to create professional marketing materials for your listing. If your list of upgrades is extensive, we can create an itemized list similar to this one from a recent listing.

A community tradition that spans more than 50 years returns this weekend in Middleton. The Good Neighbor Festival runs from Aug. 25-27 at Fireman's Park, featuring plenty of food, fun and music for the whole family to enjoy.

"The Year of the Volunteer" is meant to honor and appreciate all individuals and volunteer groups who dedicate their time, talents and resources to give back to their community. The theme is fitting for an event that's the biggest fundraiser for many of Middleton's nonprofits and charities, which rely and thrive on volunteers.

Some of the groups that will be represented include Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, Lions, Optimists and local VFW Posts. They are working together to provide a food court in the park shelter featuring

Pricing a listing can be one of the trickiest parts of the home-selling experience, and it's very easy to get your pricing wrong if you rush through this part of the process. Over the years we've noticed a few relatively common mistakes that cause sellers to either over-price or under-price their listing. Here are 8 common mistakes to avoid as you go about the process of pricing your home.

#1: Not taking seasonality into account

Time of year can have a big impact on a home's value. For instance, competing offers and bidding wars are most common in the springtime when buyers are out in droves. In the springtime it's easy to under-price a listing if the momentum of the market isn't taken into account. On the flip side it's easy to over-price in the

Wisconsin is known as the Badger State, but aside from Bucky have you ever seen the burrowing animal? Henry Vilas Zoo in the heart of Madison is home to three badgers that are easy to spot if they're not too sleepy or shy.

The Wisconsin Heritage exhibit, the newest at the zoo, is definitely worth a look, but there are plenty of other things for all ages to do while there.

See the animals, of course

While the zoo family recently had to say goodbye to Cyber, an amur tiger, among its additions are a polar bear, rhinoceros and pair of lion cubs.

If it slithers or swims and has hooves or wings, you're likely to find it there. Most animals are behind glass or fences, but people do have the opportunity to touch and feed goats.

Go for a

September is a great month to buy a home. The reason is we typically see a brief lull in the market as families focus on their back-to-school routines. Our 2016 market data shows how buyer activity dipped in September and then jumped back up again in October. This is a pretty typical pattern for the fall real estate market.

When buyer activity decreases, sellers become more flexible

We know from experience that competing offers will be less prevalent in September and throughout the fall season. With fewer buyers and fewer bidding wars in the fall, sellers will lose some of their advantage. Some will become more flexible and more willing to negotiate in the months ahead.

Sometimes it pays to go against the norm

Home and condo prices rose again in July as the seller's market continued in Madison. Here's a brief market summary for the month of July.

Madison Single Family Home Market

The price per square foot rose from $146 in July of 2017 to $158 last month - a record high for the single family home market. July home prices rose 8% year-over-year and 11% year-to-date.

The days on market statistic also set a new record in the month of July - reaching a new low of only 22 days. On a year-to-date basis, the days on market averaged only 32 days, which is also a record low.

Months of supply continued to trend along historically low levels. This snapshot taken a few days ago shows there are only 1.8 months of inventory in the Madison single family

Bordered by a bike trail, golf course, Mineral Point Road and South Midvale Boulevard is a near westside Madison neighborhood filled with historic architecture.

Westmorland features an assortment of home styles dating from the 1860s to 1950s. Within a few block radius is a barn that has been converted into a house, a Frank Lloyd Wright prototype and other mid-century moderns, classic Cape Cods, Tudor revival and International styles, Sears catalog homes and a few made of steel.

The Westmorland Neighborhood Association -- the fourth oldest in Madison -- produced a video promoting its oral history book and described Westmorland as a "microcosm reflecting Midwestern America's progress throughout the 20th century."